1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to footwear, and more particularly to a padded shoe designed for use in athletic activities such as kickboxing and other martial arts.
2. Description of the Related Art
The foot can be subjected to stresses during athletic activities. Existing athletic shoes in the art are primarily constructed to provide support for the arch and ankles of the wearer while running or jumping. However, In addition to running and jumping, some sports and fitness activities require the participant to engage in kicking maneuvers, such as martial arts and soccer. The top, sides, sole, and heel of the feet can sustain severe blows during such activities. In particular, because the natural tendency is to use the inner side of a foot to engage in kicking maneuvers, the inner side of the foot and ankle is more prone to injury. Additionally, injury can result from kicks landed against another person during certain activities, either inadvertently or, in the case of the martial arts, while sparring. First, there is a possibility that the impact of knotted shoe laces or other shoe fastening structure can injure the participants during athletic activities such as sparring. Second, there is a possibility that the impact of the harder parts of the lower limbs, such as the ankle bones, can injure the participants during the activity. It is therefore desirable to provide a shoe which protects both the wearer and the sparring partner or opponent from such injuries during activities such as martial arts and kickboxing. It is particularly desirable to provide such a shoe for use by children who may be learning martial arts.
Prior art shoes adapted to prevent injury from kicking to both the wearer and an opponent are generally those designed specifically for use in the martial arts. Shepherd, U.S. Pat. No. 6,971,192, discloses a padded shoe for use in kickboxing. This shoe is constructed of padded durable materials, including a resilient sole, and is suitable for both training and everyday wear. However, this shoe has limited flexibility due to the resilient sole covering the bottom of the shoe.
It is generally known in the art that in order to provide flexibility for the foot, a thinner shoe or a shoe with a thinner or split-sole is needed. For example, ballerina or gymnastics shoes provide exceptional flexibility to the wearer by using thinner materials, less durable materials, or simply using less material to cover the foot. In the martial arts, flexible shoes are available, but tend to fail to secure to the foot properly, provide little or no support or to the foot and ankles, and have only thin fragile soles. Additionally, such shoes do not provide any type of protection to the foot from injury during martial arts training or fighting, nor can they be worn outside.
Therefore, what is needed is a shoe which is adapted for kicking activities, which can protect a wearer of the shoe, and in the case of marital arts or soccer, can also protect other participants from injury. However, there is also a need that such shoes still provide adequate foot and ankle support to the wearer and be durable enough for everyday use. There is also a need that such a shoe permit the wearer as much flexibility as possible in the movement of the foot.